Overnight the news came that Christopher Lee, described aptly by Prime Minister David Cameron as "a titan of the golden age of cinema", had passed away at the age of 93.

Christopher Lee had a long and legendary acting career, including parts in Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones; Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith (2005); playing the wizard Saruman in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit films; and of course immortalised playing the role of Dracula.

What many people didn't know however, was that Christopher Lee loved heavy metal music. He not only loved the genre, he was a performer. I myself didn't know this until, amazingly, I was approached late last year to provide orchestral keyboard parts to a track he was then working on.

I myself didn't know this until, amazingly, I was approached late last year to provide orchestral keyboard parts to a track he was then working on.

The turnaround requested to perform on the track was tight, but achievable. As fate would have it, the production timing was too tight to see the Christmas-themed track produced with additional layers and released in time for the Christmas deadline, and sadly the opportunity (for me) didn't proceed. The finished version of the track was the same mix I heard prior to release.

His last album Metal Knight was released on his 92nd birthday in 2014, followed by "Darkest Carols, Faithful Sing" - the track I was approached to perform on. As it would happen, that very track in late 2014 would become Christopher Lee's last ever music release.

He was an inspiration to many, and a highly sought talent especially in the latter years of his career.

To have been approached for the potential to work with such a legend myself will always be a privilege.